Adjustable farrowing pen assembly



March 15, 1960 I T. J. BAKER 2,928,371

ADJUSTABLE FARROWING PEN ASSEMBLY Filed March 17, 1955 INVENTOR 2,928,371 1C la-item ti Mar.'15, 1960 2,928,371 ADJUSTABLE FARROWING PEN ASSEMBLY Thomas J. Baker, Paoli, Ind.

Application March 17, 1955, Serial No. 494,840

2 Claims. (Cl. 119-20) The present invention relates to the art of animal husbandry, and, more particularly has reference to a housing for a sow which is so constructed that the piglets cannot be injured by the sow.

Of course, I am well aware that housings of this general character have heretofore been provided, but, such prior housings have been rather complex structurally, somewhat diflicult to clean and maintain in a sanitary condition and are not adaptable with a minimum of time and effort to be adjusted to the size of the sow to be placed therein.

Accordingly, one of the important objects of this invention is to provide a housing or sow box which will overcome the above and other objectionable features now present in the art.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sow box which is adjustable in the transverse direction in in an easy fashion to accommodate the sow in question and in which the framing members are so supported that air may circulate freely throughout the box, especially in the area of the bottom of the box to prevent the piglets from being smothered.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a sow box which can be at least partially dismounted to facilitate the shipment and storage of the box.

Broadly, the invention comprises a floor, a pair of sides supported by the floor and defined by a plurality of spaced apart slats with the lowermost slat of each side being located a short distance above the floor, a top consisting of spaced apart slats carried by the support for the sides and a closure at each end of the box with each closure being mounted for movement about a vertical pivot to permit access to the interior of the box, the vertical pivots being such that each closure can be removed from the box.

The supporting means for one of the sides and a part of the top of the box is so constructed that such side and part of the top may have limited transverse movement with respect to the other side and remainder of the top to permit the width dimension of the box to be adjusted to accommodate sows of different sizes.

From a study of the ensuing description, further objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent, and,'the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application wherein similar reference legends denote the same or similar parts in the several views and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the box.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the box, and,

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the box.

As illustrated, the box includes a pair of spaced transverse supports 10, each of which is pivoted at a location intermediate the ends thereof as at 11 to allow the supports to be swung upwardly into nested relation. A

floor l2 defined by interlocking boards 13 is carried by the lower face of the supports 10, and, it will be seen that one end of each support extends a substantial distance beyond the floor as shown at 14, the purpose of which will later become apparent.

It will be seen that an angle bracket 15, preferably of sheet material is secured by detachable means, such as a nut and bolt 16 adjacent to one of the ends of each of the supports 10 and a vertically disposed angle piece 17 is fixed to the inner end of each horizontal leg of such bracket. A plurality of spaced apart slats 18 extend longitudinally of the floor and the ends of the slats are attached to the outer flange of each of the angle pieces 17 by bolts and nuts 19. Obviously, other securing means may be used in lieu of the bolts and nuts.

The slats 18 form one of the sides of the box, and, it will be noted. that due to the angle brackets 15, the lowermost slat is spaced a substantial distance above the floor 12. This slat maybe adjustable heightwise.

A further angle bracket 20 is provided for the other end of the supports 10 although it can be seen that each bracket 20 is formed with an'outwardly directed horizontal portion 21 which overlies the area 14 of the floor support 10 projecting beyond the floor. The horizontal portion 21 is further formed with an elongated slot 22 which permits the position of the bracket 20 relative to the other bracket 15 to be varied and a bolt and nut unit 23 serves to hold the bracket 20 in its adjusted position. I

A vertically disposed angle piece 24 is fixed to the inner end of the horizontal leg of the bracket 20 and the ends of a plurality of spaced slats 25 are secured to the outer flange of each of the brackets 20 as indicated at 26. The slats 25 form the other side of the box.

In order to form the top of the box,'the upper end of each angle piece 17 extends inwardly horizontally as at 27 and a horizontally disposed slat 28 is secured at each end thereof to the horizontal portion 27 by a bolt and nut 29. i

The upper end of each of the angle pieces 24 is also formed with a horizontally extending portion 30 which is of greater length than the portion 27 so that the portion 30 overlies the portion 27. The ends of a horizontally extending slat 31 are secured to the portions 30 by bolts and nuts 32. In addition, the portion 30 is slotted as indicated at 33 for receiving the head of the bolt of the bolt and nut unit 29, and, it will be appreciated that this arrangement allows the top of the box to be adjusted when the position of the angle brackets 20 is changed. It is merely necessary to loosen the bolt and nut unit 29 so that the portion 30 may be moved along the portion 27 and when the required adjustment has been effected, the bolt and nut unit is tightened.

To close the open ends of the box, I provide closure members 34 which may be formed of spaced slats 35 or the closure may be solid. Furthermore, one closure may be solid and the other slatted. As previously mentioned,

the closure members are pivotally mounted, and, to achieve this end, it will be seen that the outer flange of one of the angle pieces 17 carries a pair of spaced apart eyes 36 and one of the vertical framing elements of the closure 34 is provided with spaced apart eyes 37 adapted to be brought into registry with the eyes 36. When such eyes are in alignment, a pivot pin 38 is threaded through the eyes and the upper end of the pin is formed with a hook-like element 39 which can engage the uppermost slat 18 to anchor the pin. It is clear that this arrangement allows the closure to swing toward and away from the open end of the box. In order to lock the closure in the closed position, the inner flange of the angle piece 24 at the same end of the box is provided with two ver- 42. at the upper end is dropped 'intothev eyes with the.v

features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims- I hook in engagement with the top slat of the closure m emher. This holds the closure member closed, and, to permit the closure member to swing, the hook 42 is merelydisengaged from the closure slat.

The locking can be efiected by having the eyes 40 of such length as to project beyond the outer face of the closure in the closed position whereupon the pin 41 can be threaded through the eyes on the outside of the closure and the hook bycontacting the upper eye will maintain the closure in suchposition. To release the closure, the hook is grasped and the pin withdrawn from the eyes thus allowing the closure to swing about its pivot.

The other end closure may be mounted in a similar fashion, but, I prefer that the pivot for the closure member be carried by the angle piece 24 so that the closure will swing in the opposite direction.

engages the uppermost eye rather than the top slat. Hence, it-isdeemed apparent that the closure members can be quickly and easily mounted on or detached from. the ends of the box and the pivotal connections as well asthe locking means are simple structurally and can be repaired or replaced without the necessity'of employing skilled workmen.

One skilled in the art will see that the box will pre-' vent the sow from placing undue, Weight'on the piglets so as to kill or seriously injure any or all of the piglets and by virtue of the slatted arrangement of the side and top. walls of the box, air can readily; circulate there'- through and this is particularly true of the bottom. of the box. This means that there is little danger that the-pig? lets will smother since theentire area of the box adjacent to the floor 12 is spaced above the floor.

To prevent the piglets from straying from the mother,-, a railing of substantial height 45 extends about the err-v tire perimeter of the box. The ends of the railing are Also, the pivot pins38 can be of such length that the hook-like element end edge, a vertical support secured to each bracket,

with each support being spaced above the floor, parallel secured together by bolts and nuts and other suitable means 46 so that the railing can be removed whennecese.

formity with the showings in the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications markno material departure from the salient I claim: 1. A sow box comprising a floor having side edges and end edges, a pair of brackets carried by the floor in proximity to each end edge, with each bracket at one edge being in alignment with each'bracket at the other spaced slats extending between and secured to each pair of aligned vertical supports, with thelowermost slat being spaced above the floor and said supports and slats defining the" side: walls of the box, one pair of aligned brackets being each provided with an. elongated slot vertical supports and slats to adjust the distance between the side walls, horizontal supports on the top of the vertical supports, a plurality of rails extending between and secured-to the horizontalsupports and constituting; the top of the box, the horizontal support on the top oh the: vertical supports carried by the bracket having the elongated slot beingmovable' transversely with the move ment' of the vertical supports and the slats toward and port and a pin lodged in the eyes having ahdok-theredm preventing; the displacement of the pin from the eyes;

. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,230,237 .asturm Tune 19, 1.912 2,515,084 Harris July 11, E 2,602,419 Johnson. July: 8, 1 952 2,736,041 Maloof .Feb. 28, 1 956" FOREIGN PATENTS 36.698 Denmark Oct. 11:, 1926 465,175 Germany Sept. 10, 1928' 774;466 France" Sept. 24', 1934 

